<div>“Refreshing . . . A penetrating analysis of the assumptions that underlie SETI and the entire enterprise of searching for life beyond Earth.” —Chris McKay, Nature Fifty years ago, a young astronomer named Frank Drake first pointed a radio telescope at nearby stars in the hope of picking up a signal from an alien civilization. Thus began one of the boldest scientific projects in history, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). After a half-century of scanning the skies, however, astronomers have little to report but an eerie silence—eerie because many scientists are convinced that the universe is teeming with life. Physicist and astrobiologist Paul Davies has been closely involved with SETI for three decades and chairs the SETI Post-Detection Taskgroup, charged with deciding what to do if we’re suddenly confronted with evidence of alien intelligence. He believes the search so far has fallen into an anthropocentric trap—assuming that an alien species will look, think, and behave much like us. In this provocative book Davies refocuses the search, challenging existing ideas of what form an alien intelligence might take, how it might try to communicate with us, and how we should respond if it does. “Paul Davies gives us a panoramic view of the quickening search for cosmic company—a fascinating tale stuffed with novel ideas about the nature of intelligence far beyond our own.” —Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer, SETI Institute “An immensely readable investigation of the SETI enterprise . . . [A] wonderful book.” —New Scientist “A far-ranging look at what might happen here on Earth when we make first contact. Highly recommended for both science fiction and astronomy buffs.” —Publishers Weekly</div>

The Eerie Silence

<div>An acclaimed physicist and cosmologist considers the multiverse and more: &ldquo;Very readable indeed . . . This is Doctor Who, but for real.&rdquo; &mdash;TheGuardian The Goldilocks Enigma is Paul Davies&rsquo;s eagerly awaited return to cosmology, the successor to his critically acclaimed bestseller The Mind of God. Here he tackles all the &ldquo;big questions,&rdquo; including the biggest of them all: Why does the universe seem so well adapted for life? In his characteristically clear and elegant style, Davies shows how recent scientific discoveries point to a perplexing fact: many different aspects of the cosmos, from the properties of the humble carbon atom to the speed of light, seem tailor-made to produce life. A radical new theory says it&rsquo;s because our universe is just one of an infinite number of universes, each one slightly different. Our universe is bio-friendly by accident&mdash;we just happened to win the cosmic jackpot. While this &ldquo;multiverse&rdquo; theory is compelling, it has bizarre implications, such as the existence of infinite copies of each of us and Matrix-like simulated universes. And it still leaves a lot unexplained. Davies believes there&rsquo;s a more satisfying solution to the problem of existence: the observations we make today could help shape the nature of reality in the remote past. If this is true, then life&mdash;and, ultimately, consciousness&mdash;aren&rsquo;t just incidental byproducts of nature, but central players in the evolution of the universe. Whether he&rsquo;s elucidating dark matter or dark energy, M-theory or the multiverse, Davies brings the leading edge of science into sharp focus, provoking us to think about the cosmos and our place within it in new and thrilling ways.</div>

Buy From US

Kobo

Google

Barnes & Noble

Apple

Amazon

The Goldilocks Enigma

<div>&ldquo;For the modeller and wargamer . . . looking for something more when recreating their battles in a table-top game or exhibiting their work.&rdquo; &mdash;Jos&eacute; Manu&eacute;l Rico Cort&eacute;s (&ldquo;Mister JM&rdquo;), Miniaturas JM Like a good general, a good wargamer should have an eye for the ground. Just as the nature of the battlefield plays a central role in real warfare, so miniature wargames are greatly enhanced by realistic terrain. Besides, when you&rsquo;ve spent hundreds of hours collecting and painting your miniature armies, they surely deserve ground worth fighting for. Master terrain modeler Paul Davies takes the reader through the process of creating a visually appealing yet practical terrain system. First the techniques of making the basic landscape are explained, then a series of projects show how this can be adapted to suit different periods or geographic locations, from European farmland to Sudanese desert. There are then detailed chapters on adding vegetation, buildings, roadways, trench systems, and more. The clear, step-by-step instructions are clearly illustrated by numerous specially-taken photographs of the work in progress and Paul&rsquo;s inspirational finished pieces. &ldquo;Takes the reader through the process of creating a visually appealing yet practical terrain over which miniature battles may be fought . . . The book should be well received by wargamers and diorama builders alike. Recommended.&rdquo; &mdash;Military Modelling &ldquo;Inspiring . . . It&rsquo;s the detailed &lsquo;build projects&rsquo; and the huge number of images that really serve to make this book such a valuable resource for those who don&rsquo;t quite know where to start, or those who would like some inspiration and guidance to serve as a catalyst for their own research and modelling projects.&rdquo; &mdash;Tabletop Gaming</div>

Battlefields In Miniature

<div>&ldquo;Davies makes a persuasive case that advances in biology and astronomy are turning the origin of life from a mystery into a solvable problem.&rdquo; &mdash;The New York Times Book Review Are we alone in the universe? In his latest far-reaching book, The Fifth Miracle, internationally acclaimed physicist and writer Paul Davies confronts one of science&rsquo;s great outstanding mysteries&mdash;the origin of life. Three and a half billion years ago, Mars resembled Earth. It was warm and wet and could have supported primitive organisms. If life once existed on Mars, might it have originated there and traveled to Earth inside meteorites blasted into space by cosmic impacts? Davies builds on the latest scientific discoveries and theories to address the larger question: What, exactly, is life? Is it the inevitable by-product of physical laws, as many scientists maintain, or an almost miraculous accident? Are we alone in the universe, or will life emerge on all Earth-like planets? And if there is life elsewhere in the universe, is it preordained to evolve toward greater complexity and intelligence? On the answers to these deep questions hinges the ultimate purpose of mankind&mdash;who we are and what our place might be in the unfolding drama of the cosmos. &ldquo;Davies makes accessible a subject growing increasingly arcane.&rdquo; &mdash;San Francisco Chronicle Book Review &ldquo;Paul Davies has been writing excellent books about science for so long that it is hard to believe that he is still getting better. But on this evidence, he is . . . Delightful.&rdquo; &mdash;John Gribbin, author of In Search of Schrodinger&rsquo;s Cat</div>

Apple Books

The 5th Miracle

<div>The writers behind New Scientist explore the baffling concept of nothingness from the fringes of the universe to our minds&rsquo; inner workings. It turns out that nothing is as curious or as enlightening as nothingness itself. What is nothing? Where can it be found? The writers of the world&rsquo;s top-selling science magazine investigate&mdash;from the big bang, dark energy, and the void, to superconductors, vestigial organs, hypnosis, and the placebo effect. And they discover that understanding nothing may be the key to understanding everything: <ul><li>What came before the big bang&mdash;and will our universe end?</li><li>How might cooling matter down almost to absolute zero help solve our energy crisis?</li><li>How can someone suffer from a false diagnosis as though it were true?</li><li>Does nothingness even exist if squeezing a perfect vacuum somehow creates light?</li><li>Why is it unfair to accuse sloths&mdash;animals who do nothing&mdash;of being lazy?</li><li>And more!</li></ul> Contributors Paul Davies, Jo Marchant, and Ian Stewart, along with two former editors of Nature and sixteen other leading writers and scientists, marshal up-to-the-minute research to make one of the most perplexing realms in science dazzlingly clear. Prepare to be amazed at how much more there is to nothing than you ever realized.</div>

Paul Davies
Follow this author

Books By Paul Davies (5 Books)

The Eerie Silence

The Goldilocks Enigma

Battlefields In Miniature

The 5th Miracle

Nothing

Get weekly updates and deals from Early Bird Books

More from

Corporate

© 2024 OPEN ROAD INTEGRATED MEDIA

Paul DaviesFollow this author

Books By Paul Davies (5 Books)

The Eerie Silence

The Goldilocks Enigma

Battlefields In Miniature

The 5th Miracle

Nothing

RELATED POSTS ABOUT PAUL DAVIES

Get weekly updates and deals from Early Bird Books

More from

Corporate

© 2024 OPEN ROAD INTEGRATED MEDIA

Paul Davies
Follow this author